FanHouse Kalvinpearson

Training camps are underway, the NFL season is a month off, and to get you ready for 2008, FanHouse previews all 32 teams, "heat index" style. We'll rate each club in 10 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.

Quarterback: Jon Kitna -- man of God, man of many passing yards, man of many lapses in judgement. With Kitna, Mike Martz found a quarterback who could air it out appropriately in his offense. Appropriately, in this instance, means bombing away with little regard to risk, and the interception and sack totals with Kitna under center reflect that. Martz is gone and the Lions are shifting to a more conservative offense. Kitna isn't the right man to helm it, and, turning 36 early this season, should be on his last tour in Detroit. The problem is that the Lions aren't sure if they have anyone behind him to take over, with Dan Orlovsky and Drew Stanton possessing exactly zero starts and only 17 passing attempts between them, all Orlovsky's. Heat Index: 5

Running back: That conservative offense will put more work at the feet of the team's tailbacks. The Lions' running game in 2007 was 31st in the league and lost their best runner in Kevin Jones. Still, they're going about improving in the right way. They kept Tatum Bell and Brian Calhoun from last year and tailored their attack to a one-cut zone blocking system that suits their skills. Bell had almost 2,000 yards and 10 touchdowns running in that system in 2005 and 2006. Assuming he stays healthy, he should bring a big-play punch. But the biggest impact will be made by the biggest unknown -- rookie Kevin Smith. He also excels in a zone system, and the wildly productive college back is one of the players I think is going to absolutely turn heads this year. Heat Index: 7

MDS hit the nail on the head when he referred to news that Kalvin Pearson allegedly choked the woman supposedly carrying his child to the point of bruising as "maybe the most sickening crime related to an NFL player since Rae Carruth."

And then, something that happens an awful lot to high-profile people in Pearson's shoes happened to Pearson himself -- the charges of aggravated battery on a pregnant woman and domestic battery by strangulation were dropped.

Whether the charges actually deserve to be dropped or whether Pearson is using his occupation as leverage out of this sticky situation isn't up for me to decide -- I've vowed to be less judgmental in 2008 (except when it comes to men wearing capri pants). Sometimes charges are dropped rightfully. And sometimes they're not. And the only two who know for sure here are Pearson and his accuser. And she's not happy (via PFT).

"It's not what I wanted," the alleged victim told The Oakland Press. "It's basically (bull). He has money and he has lawyers. He's doing what he has to do to keep his job."

In response, Pearson had no response to the alleged victim, only expressing hope that the truth would prevail. He surely is referring to "his" truth, not the one belonging to his accuser. The question, as always: whose version of truth is closest to the actual truth?

Rod Marinelli has accepted the torch from Bill Parcells and now can officially be referred to as Mr. "My Guy." Meaning, he likes players he knows and who he knows he can trust in the locker room and in his system. That's why you've seen so many ex-Bucs -- Jon Bradley, Chuck Darby, Brian Kelly, Kalvin Pearson, Corey Smith, Dwight Smith, and Dewayne White -- migrate north to join the coach in Detroit. It certainly wasn't for the city's majestic scenery.

So the natural question, when you see John Lynch -- who played the prime of a very good career with Marinelli watching from the sideline -- being freed from Denver, is whether he'll join that list.

Whether Lynch decides he wants to play again in the NFL or not, it seems as if he has a soft spot in his heart for Marinelli. Which isn't to say Lynch has interest in playing in Detroit. Which is good, because the Lions aren't interested in him.

Marinelli cites the team's depth at safety for staying away, which is sort of a valid excuse; the Lions actually do look good at that position. But if Lynch was still the even half of the Lynch that Marinelli used to watch everyday (or even half the Lynch of two years ago), the Lions would do whatever they could to find a way to get him on the field.

The truth is, Marinelli has turned away a couple of ex-Bucs (SEE: Rice, Simeon), so he's not sporting pewter blinders. At 36 and with an almost completely diminished skillset, Lynch simply has nothing of on-field value to offer the Lions.

Detroit Lions safety Kalvin Pearson is charged with what may be the most sickening crime related to an NFL player since Rae Carruth, and the Lions' response is a fascinating case study in the way that NFL teams deal with players who get into off-field trouble.

Pearson was charged with aggravated battery on a pregnant woman and domestic battery by strangulation after a woman who says she is pregnant with Pearson's child called police and said he grabbed her hair and neck and choked her, "making it difficult for her to breathe." Police identified and took photos of "red marks and bruising all around her neck."

Here is the Lions' response:

"We'll get as much information as we can right now," Lions president Matt Millen said after the NFL draft Sunday. "We'll get all the information, and then we'll deal with it after we find out all the facts."

Other NFL teams have acted swiftly when players have been charged with less serious crimes by simply cutting the player, saying they won't allow one player to tarnish the organization. The Lions, however, won't do that, because they're already on the record as saying they signed him because of his great character. And if there's one thing we know about the Detroit Lions as an organization, it's that they don't admit their mistakes.

So the Lions won't follow the lead of the Steelers with Cedrick Wilson; they'll follow the lead of the Steelers with James Harrison. They'll "gather information" designed to justify keeping Pearson on their roster.

When the Detroit Lions announced that they had signed safety Kalvin Pearson to a three-year contract two weeks ago, the coaches and front office praised his character.

No one ever said the folks in the Lions' front office know what they're doing.

Pearson is in a Tampa jail after he was arrested on felony domestic violence charges this morning.The charges he faces are aggravated battery of a pregnant female, domestic battery by strangulation and obstructing or opposing an officer.

The Lions signed Pearson to a three-year, $3.5 million contract. Several other NFL teams have released players who faced serious charges such as these, but don't expect the Lions to do the same.

Hat tip: Pro Football Talk.